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Earth
"Ok, Devii's in charge. Tavek's out on patrol, but if you need him, he's just a call away. Stay out of trouble, please."
"Kageshirou, we'll be fine. Just go help the others." Usami pushed her brother toward the quickly increasing group. "Bring them back ... or Shi'll kick all of our butts."
Kageshirou hugged his sister, then went to join the others. Usami watched them as Argent opened the portal for what would be the last time over the next two weeks. As expected, Neptune and ChibiMoon came back through. StarHunter, Yaten's twin sister, stepped through the portal, but before either her oldest child, Xavier or Kageshirou could follow her, the portal closed.
"Was that supposed to happen?"
"Where did my mother go?"
Argent frowned. "I can't reopen it ... something's stopping the portal from opening. From the other side."
"Another attack?" Neptune lifted her mirror and frowned. "Damnit, nothing."
"What happened while you were there? Why is Sarah-chan hurt?" Usagi quickly checked her oldest daughter's injuries, glad that Saturn had insisted on going. "Who did this to you?"
Sarah glanced at Neptune, then at the Kinmokunai. Her eyes met those of the youngest child of Seiya and she smiled slightly. "I didn't see. It happened way too fast."
Usagi tried reading her daughter, frowning when she realized the younger woman was blocking her. She then turned to Neptune, only to find she was also blocking. "Fine, don't tell me. I'll find out eventually." She sighed, glancing between Argent and Ami, who was scanning for some interference on this side. "Anything?"
Ami shook her head. "No, there is nothing from this side keeping it from opening. The problem ... is there."
Argent nodded. "I'm afraid that all we can do now is wait."
Gaea
Zoisite cringed at the string of curses coming from the younger woman. "Shi! Enough!" He clamped his hand over her mouth, then looked up at Jadeite. "Was I ever this ... wild?"
Jadeite shook his head. "No. And I get the feeling that neither is she." He motioned for Titus to deal with the angry teenager and pulled Zoisite to the side. "Did she cut her hair? Or did someone else do it?"
"She did it. But I ... damn. I never even thought about that. Do you think Queen Beryl is behind this?"
"DNA is a powerful force in the hands of a dark witch like her. I wouldn't put it past her to toy with the kid's emotions. Especially not if she-"Jadeite turned to face the Youma and cursed. "She's what?!"
Zoisite turned in time to see Titus hold up a bloody hand. "Shit!" He ran over to the now unconscious girl and frowned. "Did Titus do this?"
Jadeite had followed him and easily took the younger woman from the Youma. "No. But she did put her to sleep." He replied, removing the jacket from the unconscious girl. "She must have gotten hurt in the fight and just didn't realize it. Damn, now I really think Queen Beryl was controlling her."
Zoisite nodded, checking the girl's wounds. "There's no way she can go through the portal like this. We'll have to find a way to try and heal her before we even try it."
"We don't have enough energy to do it, anyway. Not with those ... people interrupting us like that." Jadeite sighed. "We'll have to lay low. No more big attacks, they draw far too much attention. How many Youma are left?"
"Enough to get what we need. We'll just have to split the attacks, not concentrate on one spot." Zoisite finished bandaging her wounds, then looked out the window of the abandoned house they had found. "There's still some light left. Think we should try again?"
"No. Not with all those people out there. They'll be looking for us. You stay here, I'll go check things out and see if her friends are still hanging around." Jadeite looked at the unconscious blonde and sighed. "I think we may need to plan on staying here for a few days."
Zoisite nodded, helping the Youma move the younger woman to a bed. "At least until we have enough energy to inform Queen Beryl."
Earth
"Usagi-sama, may I speak with you?"
Usagi looked up from her laundry and smiled slightly at the figure in the doorway. "I see I'm not the only one that can't sleep. What do you want to talk about, Princess?"
Kakyuu stepped into the room and began helping the blonde fold towels, a seemingly endless chore in the large house. "It's ... about Seiya."
"I think I already know what you're going to say, Kakyuu-san. He and I have ... started growing closer again. He knows-"
"With all respect, Usagi-sama, that is not what I meant." Kakyuu stared down at the towel in her hands and found herself fighting back tears. "Seiya ... had another child."
Usagi nodded sadly. "He told me."
"So he has told you everything?"
"Only as much as I needed to know, he said."
"Then the time has come for you to know everything."
Usagi sat in stunned silence during Kakyuu's detailed history of life on Kinmoku. When the redhead reached the point where they left the planet, she frowned slightly. "Most of that I already knew. Why do you think it's important now?"
"Because I know for a fact that Shi-chan is not Enishi's child."
The blonde woman stared at her red-haired counterpart for several moments before opening her mouth to speak. "How ... you said yourself that Seiya-chan ..."
Kakyuu nodded. "There is ... recorded evidence that two Senshi can create life, as you well know. I think that Shi-chan is one of these children. A life created purely through love."
"You said you knew for a fact that she wasn't his child."
"Her blood is as red as yours and mine. No Hrrrrunai, no matter how small the number of ancestors, has red blood. It is a very dominant gene among them. That was how Kageshirou found out he wasn't Meiya's."
"But if Shi-chan is not Enishi-san's child ... whose is she?"
"She's yours."
The two women looked at the doorway to see Sarah leaning against the frame. The younger woman sighed, looking at the floor. "She said something that ... didn't register at the time. For either of us, I think. She said that I wasn't your only child. I thought it was kind of odd for her to say that, cause she knows you have more kids. Then the more I got to thinking about it ... Shi-chan does look an awful lot like you."
"Sarah-chan ...."
"And it would explain a little bit as to why she has always hated me. Having been raised thinking she was one thing, then coming here and figuring out she's something else entirely. Then being faced with someone who looks like her, is almost the same age as she is ... and who got to to grow up with the parent she has never known." Sarah shrugged. "Just my theory, anyway. Besides, what other reason is there for her to want to hide who she really is from us?"
"There are a lot of reasons, Sarah-chan," Kakyuu replied. She glanced from mother to daughter and sighed. "I don't know for sure, Usagi-sama, but ... I thought ..."
Usagi nodded. "You thought that I should at least know the possibility. Thank you, Kakyuu-hime. I ... even after finding out about Haruka-chan's child, I ... never even thought ..." She dropped the towel she was folding and looked at the two women. "I ... think I need to speak to Naru-chan."
Naru rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she waited on the spell to finish working.
"Sorry, Naru-chan."
"It's ok, Usagi-chan. I understand you wanting to find out, but ... what if she isn't?"
"What if she is?"
"What if she isn't, Usagi-chan?"
"What if she is, Naru-chan? What if she is and I have been treating her as little more than a guest here? What if she is ... and I lose her?"
Naru smiled sadly at her childhood friend and then looked at the vial. She frowned slightly at the results, then compared them to a second, then a third vial. "Well, Shi-chan is definitely Seiya-chan's biological child." She picked up a fourth vial, one that Usagi hadn't noticed before, and smiled. "You might as well get ready for a few more fights around here, cause unless she's related to Sarah-chan's father ... Shi-chan is your child."
The two women heard something out in the hallway, then the quick scampering of little and not-so-little feet. Usagi smiled slightly, staring at the doorway. "Sarah-chan ..."
Sarah poked her head into the room and smiled a little. "Gomen, the triplets freaked out when they couldn't find Taiki-san. We were just headed to the kitchen to get some milk and cookies when we heard you two talking." At her mother's raised eyebrow, the smile faded. "Ok, I was eavesdropping. Usami-chan was taking the kids to the kitchen."
Usagi laughed a little, then looked at Naru. "What else can you tell from that spell? Are they okay?"
"Usagi-chan ... I can't tell that. If I could ... I would have had spells going every time we go on one of these trips. I'm sure they'll all be ok. They have Hotaru-chan. And the StarLights will beat the crap out of anyone that hurts their friends or family. You know that." Naru cleaned the spell components from the work table and placed a hand on Usagi's arm. "Come on. Best thing you can do right now, mom is to sleep."
"But I'm not her mother."
Sarah smirked slightly. "Then I guess that makes you her father. Should I go get the cigars, 'dad'?"
"Sarah-chan ..."
"Yeah, I know ... don't tell anyone until you talk to Seiya-san. You know I can read your mind, right, mom?"
Usagi nodded. "And I can read yours as well. I know you're worried about her."
"Well, she IS my sister, after all." Sarah smiled a little sadly at them, then turned to leave the room. "I just hope you get a chance to tell her soon."
Noi knocked on the door to the Commander's quarters and waited until the door was opened before stepping in. He smiled at the two young boys on the bed and Tavek sitting in the chair beside them. "Sorry to wake you, sir. We just came back in range of the planet. I spoke to Commander Kageshirou. None of the StarLights are on the planet."
"What? Why not?"
"Apparently Ladies Miyo, Shi and Mi-ko went with the Grey Lady to another dimension and were taken by a person or persons unknown. The StarLights have all gone to look for them."
Tavek cursed under his breath, then glanced at the boys. "Then we'll take them home and stay with them until Lady Seiya returns. Inform the Fleet that we'll be returning to Earth orbit. Any luck with the ship?"
"More luck than the last time. At least this one doesn't have bodies in ice coffins." Noi sighed, handing the other man a report of what they had found. "It's a class of ship we've not seen. From what the doc got from the kid, it was built after we left with the sole purpose of catching us. This thing has weapons I've never seen."
"Get them disconnected and to the labs. I want something that can defend against them. And I want to know if they'll work on our cruisers." Tavek dismissed the other man, then went to the private console in his quarters. Punching in an all-too familiar code, he wasn't surprised when, moments later, Kageshirou's face appeared. "Hello Commander."
"Since when do you call me Commander?"
"Since this is an official call." Tavek tilted the console enough that the redhead could see the two boys on the bed. "I'm bringing back some survivors of a shuttle crash."
Kageshirou stared at the figures in shock. "Dema told me, but ... he really does look just like Uncle Seiya. How are they?"
"Tired, obviously. I figured we'd take the long way back to let them rest a little. Plus there was a special request from another survivor." Tavek frowned slightly. "So what's this about the girls?"
"Goodman-san took them to a world she thought was safe. Safe for everyone but them, it looks like. Dema, Uncle Yaten, Aunt Kaish and Uncle Seiya all went across to help get them back. Xavier and I were going to go as well, but ... something sealed the portal before we could."
"It may be a good thing. At least the kid will have a somewhat familiar face to come home to. I just hope ..."
"Don't. Remember, he'll be like Miyo. Don't let him sense you worrying. Just bring him home, Tavek."
"Yes, Commander."
Urani opened his eyes when he felt someone picking him up.
"-we should tell him? I don't think he ever-" Kageshirou smiled down at the boy in his arms. "Hi rugrat. Remember me?"
It took a moment for the young telepath to place the red eyes and hair of the man in front of him. When he did, a large grin broke out on his face. "'Shirou?"
"Only to my friends." Kageshirou set the young boy down and once he was sure he was steady on his feet, he hugged him. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
Urani returned the hug, immediately reaching out with his mind for Hiko. When he found him, he allowed himself to relax. "'Shirou? Where is my family?"
Kageshirou sighed. "Lady Seiya, Lady Miyo and Lady Shi are all on a mission right now. If they had known you were alive and this close ... I'm sure they never would have left."
"So ... they're not on Earth."
"It's complicated, but they are on Earth. And they'll be home just as soon as they can, I promise you." Kageshirou led the younger Senshi over to a window and pointed to a large blue and white planet turning outside. "Welcome home, Urani."
